Golf ball teeing machine



R. O. JONES GOLF BALL TEEING MACHINE Oct. 10, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 11, 1959 INVENTOR. EICHAED 0- JONES Oct. 10, 1961 Filed Dec.

o. JONES 3,003,770

GOLF BALL TEEING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 n L 44 J I Oct. 10, 1961 R. o.JONES I 3,003,770

GOLF BALL TEEING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 61 v 1;w m 1 n u 0 G1 I4 i I I i I I l 1 I I I I ii L k IIJ ia 1; I A I 5 w 314 8 G l2 3% Fm ys INVENTOR.

,QIKA/AQD O- JONES United States Patent 3,003,770 GOLF BALL TEEINGMACHINE Richard 0. Jones, 152 Corbin Ave., Macon, Ga.

' Filed Dec. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 858,931

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-201) This invention relates to golf ball teeingdevices, and more particularly to an automatic, gravity-operated golfball feeding and teeing device.

. The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedautomatic golf ball teeing device which is simple in construction, whichis reliable in operation, and which automatically furnishes a golf ballon a tee at the proper position for striking same with a golf club,whereby the device is extremely useful in practicing golf strokes.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic golf ballteeing device which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which isdurable in construction, which involves relatively few parts, and whichis easy to maintain in an operating condition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedautomatic golf ball teeing device for use in practicing golfing strokes,said device being relatively compact in size, being relatively light inweight, and operating entirely by gravity whereby no additional powersupply is required therefor.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and fromlthe accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an improved automatic golf ball teeingdevice constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical cross sectional view takenon the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view takensubstantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view similar toFIGURE 2 and showing the position of the teeing lever when a golf ballis supported thereon.

IGURE 6 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 6--6 ofFIGURE 5.

' Referring to the drawings, the improved automatic teeing. device isdesigned generally at 11 and comprises a vertical golf ball supplychamber 12 provided with the upwardly flaring hopper portion 13 at itstop end adapted to receive a quantity of golf balls 14, as is clearlyindicated in FIGURE 1.

The vertical golf ball supply chamber 12 is formed at one end wallthereof with the relatively large vertical slot or aperture 15, andpivoted in the chamber 12 adjacent said aperture, as by a transversepivot pin 16, is a generally L-shaped delivery trough 17. As is clearlyshown in FIGURE 2, the trough 17 is provided with the externallyextending, relatively long outer arm 18 which is normally held in anelevated position by a counterweight 19 provided on the end of the innerarm 20 of the delivery trough, as shown in full line view in FIGURE 2.

The delivery trough 17 is formed with the ball guiding channel 20, andthe arm 18 is formed at its outer end with the ball positioning ring 21adapted to position a golf ball arriving at the ring over an upstandingtee element 22 on a tee lever 23 pivoted in the bottom of the verticalchamber 12, as will be presently explained.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the transverse pivot pin 16 is spaced inwardlywith respect to the corner bend 24 of the L-shaped delivery trough 17,whereby the weight of a golf ball reaching the corner portion of thechannel 29 is sufficient to overbalance the counter-weight 19 and "iceto cause the trough 17 to swing from the full line position thereofshown in FIGURE 2 to the dotted line position thereof, wherein the arm18 extends substantially horizontally outwardly and wherein theball-positioning ring 21 is substantially centered over the tee element22, as will be presently described.

' A transversely extending horizontal stop bar 25 is secured in thelower portion of the golf ball supply chamber 12 and is adapted to limitthe downward rotation of the arm 18 to the dotted view position thereofshown in FIGURE 2, wherein the arm is disposed outwardly and wherein thepositioning ring 21 is located immediately above the tee element22.

Designated at 26 is a downwardly and forwardly inclined guide channelwhich is rigidly secured in the lower portion of the golf ball supplychamber 12 and which is located so that its lower end is substantiallyin registry with the channel in the arm 20 of the lever 17 when saidlever is in the full line position thereof shown in FIGURE 2, namelywhen the lever is in its released position. As above explained, thetrough or lever 17 is normally biased to the position thereofillustrated in FIGURE 2, namely, to a position wherein the channel ofthe arm 20 registers with the channel 26.

Designated at 28 is a downwardly and rearwardly inclined bottom wallelement provided in the golf ball supply chamber 12 and terminating atthe downwardly curved end portion 29, as shown in FIGURE 2, spaced fromthe rear end wall of the channel 26 by a sufdcient distance to allow agolf ball to pass downwardly to the downwardly and forwardly inclinedguide channel 26. I

The tee lever 23 is pivoted in the bottom portion of the chamber 12, asby a transversely extending horizontal pivot pin 29', the forwardportion of the tee lever extending through a horizontal conduit element30 formed at the bottom end of the front end wall 31 of the supplychamber 12, the tee lever being provided at its outer end with thevertical upstanding tee element 22, previously mentioned. At its innerend the tee lever 23 is provided with a counterweight 31 which normallybiases the lever in a clockwise direction so that the forward endportion of the lever 23 engages the top wall of the conduit 30. However,when a golf ball 14 is supported on the tee element 22, the weight 31 isovercome and the tee lever 23 swings in a counterclockise direction, asviewed in FIGURE 2, so that its outer end portion engages the bottomwall of the conduit 30.

Designated at 33 is a feed roller which is rotatably.

mounted on a transversely extending shaft 34 located in the verticalgolf ball supply chamber 12 between the inclined wall 28 and theinclined guide channel 26, as shown in FIGURE 2. The feeding roller 33is mounted at a height such that the periphery of its main body portionis spaced above the guide channel 26 by a distance substantially equalto the diameter of a golf ball, whereby a golf ball can pass between theroller 33 and the channel 26 and gravitate onto the short arm 20 oflever 17 if allowed to do so by the roller 33. The roller 33 is providedwith the spaced, axially extending longitudinal radial detent vanes 35which are spaced to receive a golf ball therebetween and to control themovement of the golf ball between the roller 33 and the guide channel 26in accordance with the movements of the tee lever 23 in a manner to bepresently described.

The roller 33 is formed at one end thereof with the toothed portion 36,said toothed portion 36 being provided with the spaced axially extendingteeth or ribs 37 which are engageable by the top ends of a pair ofdetent rods 38 and 39 in a manner presently to be explained. A guidebracket 40 is secured to one side wall 41 of the vertical golf ballsupply chamber, the guide bracket having a horizontal top portion whichis formed with a Q to pair of guide apertures through which the rods 38and 39 slidably extend, the apertures being inclined to guide the rodstoward engagement with the toothed portion 36 of the roller 33. As shownin FIGURE 2, the guide rod: 39 is pivoted at 44 to the inner arm of thetee lever 23 at a point adjacent the weight element 31, the rod 39 beinginclined upwardly and forwardly. The detent rod 38is pivoted to theouter arm portiontof the tee lever 23 at 45, as shown in FIGURE 2, andextends upwardly and rearwardly toward the toothed portion 36 of roller33. When the tee lever 23 is in its normal position, namely, theposition shown in full line view in FIGURE 2 wherein the outer endportion of the lever engages the top wall of conduit 3% the rod 38engages one of the teeth 37 and holds the roller 33 against clockwiserotation,'as viewed in FIGURE 2, whereby a golf ball is retained betweenthe roller 33 and the guide channel 26 and cannot gravitate onto thechanneled arm 2%} of the delivery trough 17. When a golf ball descendsalong the arm 18 and passes into the ring 21, being thus engaged on thevertical tee element 22, the tee lever 23 rotates counterclockwise, asviewed in FIGURE 2, so that the outer arm portion thereof engages thebottom wall of conduit 30, whereby rod 38 is retracted to release theroller 33 and rod 39 is elevated 'to drivingly engage against the rollerwhile the roller is allowed to rotate a short amount suficient toadvance the lowermost golf ball on channel 26 to a point where anyfurther rotation of the roller will allow the ball to release therefrom.a

As will be read ly apparent, the retraction of the rod 3.8 allows theroller 33 to rotate through a limited angle in a clockwise direction, asviewed in FIGURE 2, until the top end of the rod 39 engages a tooth 37of portion 36 of the roller; roller to advance to the lower end of theguide channel 26. When the tee lever 23 thereafter rotates clockwise,namely, when the ball on the tee element 22 is removed, the rod 38 againmoves upwardly, but prior to this the rod 3% moves down, releasing theroller and allowing the golf ball previously retained thereby on thelower end of channel 26 to advance onto the channeledtarm 20 of thedelivery trough 17. Thus, an escapernent action is provided, whereby theballs are automatically fed from the gui chmnel 26 onto the channeledarm 20' of the delivery trough responsive to the intermittentoscillation of the tee lever 23which occurs when golf balls aresuccessively engaged on the upstanding tee element 22 and are removedtherefrom.

, Designated at as is a locking lever which is pivoted on a transverseshaft 61 in the golf ball supply chamber immediately above the guidechannel 26 and rearwardly of the feed roller 33, the locking lever 60being provided with a rearwardly extending feeler arm 62 which isengageable by golf balls traveling downwardly along the guide channel 26and wmch is elevated by the presence of such golf balls. Clockwiserotation of locking lever 63, as viewed in FIGURE 2, is limited by theprovision of a transversely extending stop lug 63 provided in thechamber 22 above the forwardly extending arm 64 of lever Arm is ofsufficient length to lockingly engage ith one of the teeth 37 on thetoothed portion 36 of roller to prevent clockwise rotation of theroller, as viewe- FIGURE 2, when the feeler portion 62 of lever 6 5 isin its lowered position, namely, when no golf balls are presenttherebeneath. For example, the feeler arm 62: may be of sufhcient lengthto drop downwardly when ts golf balls remain on the guide channel 26,whereby r feeding action is prevented and delivery u .s it na led untilthe hopper portion 13 is again furnished with a new supply of golfballs.

As shown in dotted view in FIGURE 5, when only two golf balls are lefton the guide channel 26, the feeler arm 62 drops to the dotted viewposition shown in FIG- URE 5, whereby the forwardly extending lockingarm 64 of the lever 65 moves into'a position where it is engage- Thisallows the golf ball engaged withthe able with one of the teeth 37,preventing further clockwise rotation of the roller 33.

In operation, with a supply of golf balls 14 available in the verticalgolf ball supply chamber 12, the golf balls gravitate so that a numberof golf balls will be present on the guide channel 26, disposedsubstantially in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2, whereby the feelerarm 62 will be elevated and whereby the roller 33 will be free tooperate in response to oscillation of the teeing lever 23. Thus, a golfball will engage on the supply lever 18 and will cause the arm 18 toswing downwardly to the dotted view position thereof shown in FIGURE2,.whereby the ball will be guided to the positioning ring 21 and willbe placed thereby on the top end of the upstanding vertical tee member22. This action may be initially accomplished by manually oscillatingthe tee lever'23. The as cillation of the tee lever allows thefeedroller 33 to 1'0? tate sulhciently to feed a golf ball onto the deliverylever 18 in the manner above described. When the ball is placed on theupstanding tee member 22 by the positioning ring 21, the .tee lever 23is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 2,causing the rod 39 to drivingly engage with the toothed portion 36 ofroller 33, as above described.

After the ball has been removed from the tee member 22, as by beingstruck by a golf club, the counterweight 31 rotates the feed lever 23 ina clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 2, retracting the rod 39 andallowing the roller 33 to rotate sufliciently to deliver the next ballto the delivery lever 17, since said lever has assumed the full lineposition thereof shown in FIGURE 2, whereby the arm 29 thereof 'is inregistry with the channel 26.

When a ball gravitates onto the arm 20, the ball passes forwardly beyondthe pivotal axis 16 of the arm, causing the arm to swing downwardly tothe dotted view position thereof shown in FIGURE 2, whereby the ballcontinues to roll downwardly and outwardly into, the positioning ring 21and is placed on the upstanding tee element 22. The arm 18 is thusreleased and is allowed to rotate upwardly by the biasing action of theweight 19. At the same time the tee lever 23 is rotatedcounterclockwise, as above described, allowing the roller 33 to rotatethrough a suflicient angle to position the next golf ball at the bottomend of the channel 26, further rotation of the roller 33 being preventedby the engagement of the top end of the rod 39 withthe toothed portion36 of the roller, as above described. When the golf 'ball on the teeelernent 22 is removed, the tee lever 23 is again released, allowing thenext ball to be fed onto the delivery trough member 17, whereby thepreviously described action is repeated. 7 i e I Y Itwill therefore beapparent that a golf ball will be automatically delivered to the teeelement 22 each time that the tee element is relieved of the weight-ofthe preceding golf ball. The automatic feeding action will continueuntil aninsufiicientnurnber of golf balls is present on the guidechannel 26 to maintain the feeler arm 62 ele vated.

As shown in FIGURE 2, when the arm 18 is in its outwardly extendingposition, limited against further counterclockwise rotation by thetransversely extending stop bar 25, the guide channel portion 20 thereofis arcuately curved outwardly'and downwardly, toward the positioningring 21, whereby a golf ball will roll outwardly and downwardly "alongthe channel 213' and escend into the ring 21, being thus accuratelycentered on the top end of the upstanding tee element 22.

t will be noted that the tee lever 23 is rotatable in a counterclockwisedirection, as viewed in FIGURE 2, re sponsive to the Weight of a golfball engaging on the upstanding tee element 22. The upwardly andforwardly inclined rod 39 is thus drivingly engageable with the periphery of the toothed portion '36 of the roller '33 when with theperiphery of portion 36 under these conditions. The rod 39 thuspositively assists the rotation of the roller 33 by engaging against thetoothed portion 36, whereby the roller 33 is acted upon not only by thegravitational effect of the golf balls on channel 26, but also by thedriving action of the rod member 39 as it is elevated.

While a specific embodiment of an improved golf ball teeing device hasbeen disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a golf ball teeing device, a vertical golf ball supply chamberformed at its lower portion with a delivery aperture, a generallyL-shaped delivery trough pivoted in said aperture and extendingtherethrough, means biasing said trough to a position wherein its outerportion is elevated, a guide channel in the chamber inclined downwardlytoward and registrable With the inner portion of said trough when theouter portion of the trough is elevated, a tee lever pivotally mountedbelow the trough in the same vertical plane therewith, an upstanding teeon the outer end of the tee lever, ball-positioning means on the outerend of the trough registrable with said tee when the outer end of thetrough is swung downwardly, a feeding roller rotatably mounted in thechamber and spaced above said guide channel by a distance substantiallyequal to the diameter of a golf ball, projections on the feeding rollerspaced to receive therebetween a golf ball in the channel to preventdescent thereof, said trough being rotatable to lower its outer portionby gravity towards the tee lever responsive to the entry of a golf ballinto its inner portion, upstanding rod means connected to the tee leveron one side of its pivotal connection and located to drivingly engagewith the feeding roller responsive to downward rotation of the outer endof the tee lever caused by the weight of a golf ball on the tee lever,additional upstanding rod means connected to the tee lever on theopposite side of its pivotal connection and normally lockingly engagingthe feeding roller, and means retracting said last-named rod means fromthe feeding roller responsive to said downward rotation of said outerend of the tee lever, whereby to provide an escapement action betweenthe tee lever and the feeding roller.

2. In a golf ball teeing device, a vertical golf ball supply chamberformed at its lower portion with a delivery aperture, a generallyL-shaped delivery trough pivoted in said aperture and extendingtherethrough, means biasing said trough to a position wherein its outerportion is elevated, a guide channel in the chamber inclined downwardlytoward and registrable with the inner portion of said trough when theouter portion of the trough is elevated, a tee lever pivotally mountedbelow the trough in the same vertical plane therewith, an upstanding teeon the outer end of the tee lever, ball-positioning means on the outerend of the trough registrable with the tee lever when the outer end ofthe trough is swung downwardly, a feeding roller rotatably mounted inthe chamber and spaced above said guide channel by a distancesubstantially equal to the diameter of a golf ball, projections on thefeeding roller spaced to receive therebetween a golf ball in the channelto prevent descent thereof, said trough being rotatable to lower itsouter portion by gravity toward the tee lever responsive to the entry ofa golf ball into its inner portion, upstanding rod means connected tothe tee lever on one side of its pivotal connection and located todrivingly engage with the feeding roller responsive to downward rotationof the outer end of the tee lever caused by the weight of a golf ball onthe tee, additional upstanding rod means connected to the tee lever onthe opposite side of its pivotal connection and normally lockinglyengaging the feeding roller, means retracting said last-named rod meansfrom the feeding rolier responsive to said downward rotation of saidouter end of the tee lever, whereby to provide an escapement actionbetween the tee lever and the feeding roller, a locking lever pivoted inthe chamber behind the feeding roller above the guide channel, means onsaid locking lever normally lockingly engaging said feeding roller, andmeans on the locking lever engageable by golf balls in the guide channelbehind the feeding roller to disengage the locking lever fiom thefeeding roller.

3. In a golf ball teeing device, a vertical golf ball supply chamberformed at its lower portion with a delivery aperture, a generallyL-shaped delivery trough pivoted in said aperture and extendingtherethrough, means biasing said trough to a position wherein its outerportion is elevated, a guide channel in the chamber inclined downwardlytoward and registrable with the inner portion of said trough when thebottom portion of the trough is elevated, a tee lever pivotally mountedbelow the trough in the same vertical plane therewith, an upstanding teeon the outer end of the tee lever, a ball positioning ring on the outerend of the trough registrable with the tee when the outer end of thetrough is swung downwardly, a feeding roller rotatably mounted in thechamber and spaced above said guide channel by a distance substantiallyequal to the diameter of a golf ball, projections on the feeding rollerspaced to receive therebetween a golf ball in the channel to preventdescent thereof, said trough being rotatable to lower its outer portionby gravity toward the tee lever responsive to the entry of a golf ballinto its inner portion, upstanding rod means pivotally connected to thetee lever on the inner side of its pivotal connection and located todrivingly engage with the feeding roller responsive to downward rotationof the outer end of the tee lever caused by the weight of a golf ball onthe tee, additional upstanding rod means pivotally connected to the teelever on the opposite side of its pivotal connection and located tonormally lockingly engage the feeding roller, means retracting saidlast-named rod means from the feeding roller responsive to said downwardrotation of said outer end of the tee lever, whereby to provide anescapement action between the tee lever and the feeding roller, alocking lever pivoted in the chamber behind the feeding roller above theguide channel, means on said locking lever'normally lockingly engagingsaid feeding roller, and means on the locking lever engageable by golfballs in the guide channel behind the feeding roller to disengage thelocking lever from the feeding roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,071,356 Pagett Feb. 23, 1937 2,212,877 Gale Aug. 27, 1940 2,216,853Middleton Oct. 8, 1940 2,675,237 Willcox Apr. 13, 1954

